Chapter 35. The art of Magic Circles and my first familiar

A few days passed.

I looked at a small calendar I made in my diary.

Today marked the 11th day I was in Roa.

Not even 2 weeks had yet passed in total that I've been here, but it felt like a lot had already happened. I had grown very close to Eris and Ghislaine, and I learned and experienced a lot.

In recent days I had my hands full with learning materials from Pascal.

For the first 2 days I read through the beginning sections of the book on Summoning magic and a magic school textbook on Magic Circles.

Before this I have already repeatedly practiced drawing the beginner Magic Circles from the Magic Guidebook. It was the main reason I practiced my drawing skills in my free time from a young age.

With this foundation, I hoped to create my first Magic Circle that day.

Around noon, whilst Ghislaine and Eris were busy with their studies, I was holed up in my room.

Bright summer sunlight slanted in through the open window and gave my room more than enough brightness.

I opened the Magic Circle textbook on a page with a Magic Circle for the Elementary ranked Water Ball.

The same Magic Circle was also in the Magic Guidebook which included snippets of information on Magic Circles, but in the textbook it was larger and drawn in more detail.

The [Water Ball] Magic Circle.

That's what I planned to make, a basic beginner-level circle.

Taking out the ink, I subconsciously recalled what I knew on Magic Circles.

In order to create a working Magic Circle, one must utilize a specific kind of ink.

The device required to imbue that ink with magic are Magic Crystals. The result is achieved by crushing a Magic Crystal into powder and mixing it with the ink.

A Magic Circle formed with this kind of ink may remain dormant for many years before being activated, without any decay in its effects.

However, Magic Crystals are difficult to procure in high quantities, making them quite expensive.

Although it may reduce the lifespan of the circle itself, these days there exists a special kind of magic ink that doesn't require Magic Crystals.

This last piece of information wasn't included in the versatile Magic Guidebook which seemed to be quite old.

The magic ink I got was one recommended by Camille.

Apparently, in different parts of the world different magic ink formulas are used, utilizing different materials, so the textbook from Pascal also only stated rough guidelines.

The magic ink I got is cheaper than normal and perfect just for practice. Although the Magic Circle made with it cannot last too long, there are no detrimental effects on the circle's performance.

After preparing the ink, I took out a large sheathe of paper, dipped my quill pen in the magic ink and began to draw the Magic Circle.

First, a triangle in the middle, then a pattern in its center, then a circle surrounding the triangle, then another circle, then paths leading to three other circles…

I began drawing the Magic Circle, starting from the center.

Slowly drawing line after line, I copied the Magic Circle from the textbook.

In essence, 'Magic Circles' is the programming language of magic, drawn patterns that shape the flow of mana to produce desired effects. It could be viewed as similar to coding back on Earth.

Using Magic Circles, potentially any effect could be achieved.

Because it was more systematic and reliable, and more scientific, it seemed more practical than attempting to make up new spells with pure mana manipulation, which I personally had no hopes of doing even in my situation.

The most important thing about a Magic Circle is that all of the lines are connected together. The beginning and the end must meet, that is the one key element of all Magic Circles.

Simply by closing the outer circle, we allow for the spell's construction to proceed within.

Recalling the basics, I eventually closed my copied Magic Circle by finishing drawing the outer circle.

I placed my pen aside and shook my slightly tired hand.

The Magic Circle seemed just like I have made it in the past. There should be no mistake in it.

To test it, I can now only try running my mana through the Magic Circle itself.

I placed my hand at the center of the scroll, then gently sent my mana into it.

The directional elements of the spell weren't indicated by the Magic Circle, so it was said to be completely safe.

As I poured my mana into the scroll, a bubble of water arose from the center of the circle.

It was a Water Ball, without a doubt.

It was a success!

At that time the vaguely shaped water sphere was in my control.

I manipulated it and had it drop into a bucket at the side.

I then poured my mana into the Magic Circle again, and a second water ball formed.

I tossed the second water ball aside again.

I then made a third one and approached the window.

Controlling the water ball, I sent out my mana to assign it speed and then shot it out through the window.

It flew out at high speed, just like it should.

Amazing!

Although I have heard it before already, a Magic Circle can really be reused repeatedly. A spell cast this way does not require voicing out an incantation.

It's amazing.

However, there was one caveat.

The maximum amount of time I could spend increasing the velocity of the water ball was around 1 second. After that, that window closed. I could also not change the shape and size of the water ball.

It limited the power of the spell. It was unlike with silent magic when the time to assign the power, shape and speed of a spell was unlimited.

However, when it came to speed, it was just like when using Incantations.

It was still amazing.

No, it was so amazing, it even feels strange.

If Magic Circles allow you to fire off instant spells and can be used repeatedly, why doesn't everyone use them?

I thought about it and felt that there wasn't a good explanation for it.

I figured I simply can't take what I have seen in the novel at face value.

The author created a world in which using Magic Circles allows for repeatedly used instant spell casting, yet the magicians introduced in the plot hardly use Magic Circles or Magic Tools, instead chanting exceedingly long incantations during combat, making them only good for support.

It isn't like scrolls or Magic Tools are difficult to acquire. It isn't lost or ancient knowledge. It is all common in this day and age.

I can only excuse it by saying that the author didn't focus on it and in the situations most often shown in the novel the magicians sought mana efficiency.

The main problem with Magic Circles was that mana cost that could instead be reduced by casting magic with a staff by at least 2 times.

One magician from the novel that came to mind was Timothy. When repeatedly firing his fire spells to annihilate the hordes of bears the most important thing was that he could keep at it.

Magicians are meant to be a reliable support from the backline, so a few seconds of casting time did not matter as much when they were not the main fighters either way. Instead, they should maximize their mana capacity by using a staff, since that's what their magical power is based on.

Roxy was similar when she was exploring the Labyrinth in Paul's party. Her staff could reduce the cost of Water magic by up to four times.

Still, it would only make sense for magicians to also always carry a Magic Tool, a scroll or even a spellbook for emergency use when an instant cast is needed.

I originally thought: 'if they're so good, why isn't everyone using Magic Circles?'

But my 'everyone' also only referred to the characters in a fantasy novel written from Rudeus's perspective.

As I later asked around, it's normal for capable magicians to carry at least one Magic Tool around and a scroll or even a few.

Summarizing all this, Magic Circles are amazing for ordinary magicians because they allow for instant spell casting and could be reused.

But as I read about it already, not all Magic Circle scrolls could be used repeatedly. For example, Healing and Detoxification Magic Circle scrolls which have to be applied on the wound are one-time use only. Summoning magic Magic Circles also seem to be a single-use only.

I continued studying Magic Circles.

My wish was to at one point purchase a Magic Tool wand which can fire off Intermediate rank Earth Magic and see how much effort it would take to transform it into something that might imitate a high-rank gun.

This kind of Magic Tool would be useful even for me.

***

As I studied Magic Circles in the beginning, my main focus was to be able to apply it in Summoning magic.

After several days of continuous study, I created an Elementary rank Magic Circle scroll for summoning a Magic Beast.

As I gently inserted my mana into the circle, it seemed to be running smoothly. There seemed to be no problems with it.

In the manor's square, Eris and Ghislaine gathered next to me to witness my attempt at summoning a familiar.

The scroll laid down on the ground in front of me.

Standing next to me, Eris had an excited look on her face, whereas Ghislaine held har hand on her sword - she was there for safety in case a crazed Magic Beast was summoned that would attack us.

"What magic beast will it be? A cat or a dog?" Eris asked whilst bent over, hands on her knees, staring at the Magic Circle that should have told her nothing.

I said, "A bird."

"A bird?"

"Yep. It will be a low-rank Magic Beast, so I felt a bird that could fly as my familiar would be the best. It could then be used for sending messages, for example."

"..." Eris looked disappointed.

"I don't know if it will listen to commands though. Low grade familiars are said to have low intelligence. It might be difficult to tame it."

The summoning book from Pascal included several Magic Circles for summoning different types of familiars.

The 'types' included are rather vague. For example: a dog, a cat and a bird. And a Magic Circle that summons a cat could summon a little house cat as well as a tiger, since both are cats.

The important aspect when summoning a Magic Beast is imagination.

Depending on the kind of Magic Beast I imagine myself summoning while casting the spell, it's likely that this one would be summoned.

I remember from the novel that the amount of mana injected into the Magic Circle also helps with summoning more powerful familiars, so I planned to pour lots of mana into mine.

I squatted down and placed my hand on my Magic Circles.

I then began injecting mana into the circle in large quantities while thinking of an image of a useful mail transporter bird in my head.

My mana sunk into the Magic Circle, causing it to glow.

These days I allowed myself to recover my mana to the maximum by toning down my magic training.

My mana reserves were full.

A Magic Beast judges the strength of their summoner by the amount of mana they possess, so restoring my reserves to full was crucial if I wanted a strong familiar and one that would not turn on me because I seem weak.

There was a harsh limit on how much mana I can circulate through the Magic Circle without it breaking , but my current mana reserves themselves should also play a role in what I get.

After a while, a bright light shot out from the Magic Circle. Then an animal appeared on top of it.

"~Hooo."

It was…

An owl.

A snow-white owl that made me think - Harry Potter.

Ah seriously?

I originally thought of summoning a cool-looking black raven, but I guess my image of a useful magical carrier bird in the end gravitated more toward Harry Potter's owls.

"Aaaah! Can I touch it?!" Eris screamed excitedly and squatted down to take a closer look at the owl.

"~Hoooooo!" The white owl waved its wings and took off into the air. 

It then circled around, approached me, then landed on my arm when I out-stretched.

How amazing!

It already recognized me as its master? It should be the effect of the Magic Circle.

"~Hoooooo." The owl looked straight at me with its yellow-black eyes, then looked at Eris. "Hoo-hoo!"

I had a feeling it was saying: What the hell is that red beast? Kill it!

I couldn't help but chuckle.

At that time Eris seemed to have noticed that she was scaring the owl, so she stayed back.

I looked at my summoned familiar and said my prepared lines, "I am now your master. From now on you can live in this safe land. You will also be able to eat as much as you want. In turn, I will have you sometimes fly for me from place to place. You will also have to listen to my commands. Do you agree?"

"~Hoooooo."

I had no idea if the owl understood me, probably not, but it hooted.

I did not quite care whether it was a raven or an owl, as long as it was an intelligent and useful low-rank familiar that was summoned.

"Can I touch it now?" Eris asked.

I stretched out my arm with the owl grasping it. "Go ahead. Just be gentle."

"I know."

As Eris approached, the owl looked at me as if in a worry, but I attempted to reassure it by gently stroking its feathers.

The white owls' fathers were incredibly soft.

Eris then stroked the owl's feathers as well, looking delighted at the sensation. After striking the feathers here and there, it then burrowed her face in it.

At that moment she looked like a normal young girl who likes cute things.

I looked at Ghislaine who also came over, squatted down and stared at Eris with a flabbergasted expression.

Yes, I agree. It was surprising to see Eris who's normally a brat and frequently dirties her clothes without a care act like a girl her age for once.

Actually, an owl was a familiar that was also once summoned in the novel.

I could roughly recall that chapter, and Eris being fascinated with the softness of the owl's feathers. That chapter mentioned that Eris likes soft and fluffy things.

It is not that she likes cute things, but just soft and fluffy things. That's why she likes animals.

The owl looked at me while Eris kept stroking it with fascination, so I tried to reassure it that it's fine with my eyes.

Maybe there was a connection between us formed by the magic circle, I don't know, but the owl didn't make a commotion and simply stayed there while hooting from time to time.

As Eris kept playing with the owl's feathers, I thought of a name for it.

If it was a black crow or a raven, I already had a few names prepared, but not quite for a while owl.

What then? Hedwig?

Nah. It's too much. It's too lame to use a name from Harry Potter.

However…

It was just a low-grade familiar.

If I could acquire a higher rank magic circle, I would replace the owl in the future with a more powerful familiar.

It isn't even too bad to call her Hedwig. It would be like a joke.

…The problem was that it might potentially advertise me as someone from Earth to other transmigrators if they found out about it.

Although it would be nice to find others like me, I would rather be the one in hiding who would discover them instead of being the one in the open.

That's why after a bit of consideration the name Hedwig was rejected.

In the next few days I tried to investigate the species of my owl familiar first before deciding on the name.

Unfortunately, I didn't receive a concrete answer.

Because of the white thick feathers, it seemed to be a bird from the north of the Central Continent - that's what Ghislaine, Philip and Gilbert all told me, though these were just guesses.

The pigeon handler in the manor had said that although it was the size of a normal owl, it seemed to be juvenile and still had potential for growth. He also informed me that my owl was a she.

Over these days, I grew quite attached to my owl.

Eris also seemed to love her because of her soft feathers. She frequently gave her meat from the kitchen and happily stroked her feathers, especially the soft feathers on her stomach.

Even though my owl shouldn't be a powerful Magic Beast, I still decided to give her a good name.

However, I was still in the process of picking it.*

…

Around the time of my familiar summoning, Eris also fully mastered the Fireball spell.

It took her over a week.

More than a week, in contrast to grasping a spell on the first try. It was a clear difference in talent between someone with a Laplace factor like Sylphy and a more ordinary person who is not a magic genius.

Still, I don't think it was a bad result. Eris still had a lot of time to polish her magic thanks to starting at 7 in comparison to beginning at 9.

Looking excited, Eris wanted to immediately come with me to the Magicians' Guild to register herself.

I'm not sure why she needed me for that, but perhaps she just wanted to hang out together, so I didn't decline.

It was a chance for me to also go out again and get some things done.

I wanted to get that Magic Tool wand that fires off rock bullets.

***

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(*Share your ideas on a name you'd like for the owl in the chapter's comments. I will pick a name from among those. Also like the comments with names you like.)

(I can alternatively tweak the owl's appearance slightly to fit the name, for example making it more silvery or ash-gray, but it should still probably look similar to Harry's Hedwiga.)

(Keep in mind that the name should probably not be too powerful, like Orion, or a name of a God like Hermes. The owl's rank is low and she has low combat abilities, simply being a smart bird for sending letters. Seraph might also upgrade his bird familiar in the future using higher rank Summoning magic, and might summon other and more powerful familiars, so it might be a bit unfitting if the owl had a powerful name.)

(A few referenes: the owl can fly silently during the night to deliver messages undetected, it's feathers are soft and snow-white. It likes to hunt in the evenings and bring Seraph its prey.)